The Quasar has arrived! They were delivered this afternoon. The shipping box is getting to the point where it has seen better days, but was in good condition. I eagerly but carefully opened the box to find the beautiful travel case inside. I love this case. Light weight and very protective. You are going to hear light weight a few times over the course of this experience. So I opened the case…
The headphones are nestled nicely inside. I have no idea how long this particular set has been in circulation, but it is in excellent condition. I took them out and was super impressed by how light weight they were. The materials used are extremely interesting. When you first look at it you think “Oh, plastic everywhere”, but it’s not - I don’t think! 
They almost have a carbon fiber feel to them. All of the pieces are well made, and everything fits together beautifully, creating a great overall presentation. All of the hinge points are solid yet move well. I really dig the aesthetic presentation. They feel really nice in your hands. The mini-xlr connectors are impressive. The cable - is not. But we’ll get to that. Time to put them on.
AAAAHHHHHHH! That light weight I keep going on about plays big in the comfort factor. The clamp is very good for me, and they fit my head nicely. These vegan pads have a luxurious feel to them and my ears fit nicely inside the cups. No hot spots, no irritation points on my ears. I can already tell that I will be able to wear these for as long as I wish. Extremely impressive so far!
And now, the fun part begins. That would be the listening part, of course! 
Which brings us to the cable. This thing is just not impressive. Not only that, it’s single ended. My system is fully balanced, so this is gonna be interesting to see how this plays out. But I am going in with a fully open mind, and have gear that will be just fine. I’m going to start out on the SH-9 and see how she does. There will be other amps and DACs in play as well. But for its first go:
AMHD/Local FLAC > U2 Pro DDC > SMSL SU-8 > SMSL SH-9 > QUASAR
Let the listening begin! 